What is the best thing you read this summer? My guest Carmel Phillips and I are sharing the books that made the greatest impression over the last few months, including backlist titles and the buzziest books of the season. (And yes, of course we mention the NYT Best Books of the 21st century list that dropped in July.)

This is a story about growing up feeling like an outsider and finding a book that made you feel less alone. And then growing up to create an adaptation of that book for the screen, in a dream project that took years to complete. This is a story about my friend Jill Killington and her work on the tv adaptation of Stephen King's THE STAND.

We're halfway through 2024, which means it's time to take an inventory of the best books we've read in the last six months.

My real life book club joins me for a mid-year look at the literary landscape for the second year in a row. Regular guests Yasmin Dunn and Stephanie Newman-Smith are always a delight to have on the show.

Jodi Wellman is focused on death. And she wants you to think about it more, too.

R. Eric Thomas and I discuss his new book Congratulations, The Best Is Over and also how he found his distinct writing voice. And then, of course, we each share a few of the best books we've read lately. We laugh, we fan out, and we talk about great books.

Emily P. Freeman says, "Our whole life is like a house, and every commitment, community, role, and relationship is like a room." In this conversation, Emily and I continue her room metaphor and she asks 10 Questions from her book that we can use to discern our own sense of belonging, and our choices to stay or leave.

This conversation starts with a thoughtful discussion about reviewing books on social media (#Bookstagram #BookTok) versus being a literary critic and Sara makes some excellent points about the way we talk about books online these days. And then Sara and I each share four of the best books we've read lately, including a novel I just finished that may be one of my favorites of all time.